Ever wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what your Facebook friends are doing? If you get the jitters from being offline for more than a couple of hours and want the internet at your fingertips just before you go to sleep and right after you wake up, Sony's new Dash personal internet viewer is a must-have gadget for you.
Featuring a 7-inch LCD touch-screen and Wi-Fi, and running a host of applications like Facebook, Twitter and internet radio, the Dash is basically a supercharged bedside alarm clock that provides a constant connection to your social networking services.
This means you'll be able to see the latest updates from your Facebook friends, even if you suddenly wake without ever going near your PC.
The Sony Dash uses the Chumby operating system which, like the iPhone or Android, allows you to download new applications over a network. There are currently over 1,000 free apps from Chumby, and Sony will also add its Bravia internet video service to the mix.
You control the Dash and all the apps from the touch-screen, but it is unclear whether there is an onscreen keyboard for replying to your Facebook messages. You also need Wi-Fi coverage wherever you put the Dash.
Another issue is the lack of battery, so it's not portable like an internet tablet.